What to Know
- President Trump cranked up the heat on Attorney General Sessions, scorning him as "very weak" and refusing to say whether he'll fire him
- Research on 202 former football players found evidence of a brain disease linked to repeated head blows in nearly all of them
- Barbara Sinatra, the fourth wife of legendary singer Frank Sinatra and a prominent advocate and philanthropist for abused children, has died
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New U.S. Sanctions Won't Help Mend Ties, Russian Official Says
A senior Russian diplomat says a new package of U.S. sanctions against Russia harms chances for improving the ties between the two countries, pushing them into "unchartered territory." Russian officials welcomed Donald Trump's presidential win last year, hoping to mend relations with the United States which reached a post-Cold War low under President Barack Obama. The U.S. Congress on Tuesday backed a new package of sanctions against Russia for its alleged meddling in the 2016 election. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov criticized the sanctions as "closing off the prospect for normalizing ties." He told the Interfax news agency the new sanctions are pushing Russia and the U.S. "into uncharted territory both in political and diplomatic sense."
Trump Cranks Up Heat on Sessions, Says “Time Will Tell” Fate
President Trump cranked up the heat on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, scorning him as "very weak" and refusing to say whether he'll fire the nation's top law enforcement officer and his onetime political ally. It was an extraordinary public rebuke, and even fellow Republicans pushed back forcefully. All through a day of anything-but-subtle tweets and statements, Trump rued his decision to choose Sessions for his Cabinet and left the former senator's future prospects dangling. "We will see what happens," Trump said. "Time will tell. Time will tell." His intensifying criticism has fueled speculation that the attorney general may step down even if the president stops short of firing him. But several people close to the former Alabama senator have said he does not plan to quit.
Nearly All NFL Players in Brain Study Had CTE
Local
Research on 202 former football players found evidence of a brain disease linked to repeated head blows in nearly all of them, from athletes in the National Football League, college and even high school. It's the largest update on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a debilitating brain disease that can cause a range of symptoms including memory loss. The report doesn't confirm that the condition is common in all football players; it reflects high occurrence in samples at a Boston brain bank that studies CTE. Many donors or their families contributed because of the players' repeated concussions and troubling symptoms before they died. It's also uncertain if some players' lifestyle habits - alcohol, drugs, steroids, diet - might somehow contribute, a neuroscientist said.
Norovirus Outbreak Due to Lax Sick Policy, Chipotle Says
Chipotle Mexican Grill said the recent norovirus outbreak in a Virginia restaurant was due to a lax enforcement of the company's sick policy, CNBC reported. "We conducted a thorough investigation, and it revealed that our leadership there didn't strictly adhere to our company protocols," CEO Steve Ells said, adding that the restaurants should have been more aware of employee health issues. Last week, tests confirmed that a customer who ate at a Chipotle in Sterling, Virginia, contracted norovirus. The Wall Street Journal reported that 133 diners reported being sickened as well, though their cases were not confirmed as norovirus. It has been about two years since an E. coli outbreak rattled the food chain. In Oct. and Dec. 2015, at least 60 people were infected with the illness after eating at locations across the country. At least 22 people were hospitalized.
Barbara Sinatra, Wife of Frank Sinatra, Dies at 90
Barbara Sinatra, the fourth wife of legendary singer Frank Sinatra and a prominent advocate and philanthropist for abused children, has died at 90. John Thoresen, director of the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, says she died of natural causes at her California home. A former model and Las Vegas showgirl, Barbara Sinatra was a prominent Palm Springs socialite in her own right before she married Sinatra in 1976. They remained wed until his death in 1998. Together they founded the center that bears her name.
James Cameron Uncovers Latest “Titanic” Discoveries in New Special
Twenty years later and fans still haven't let go. National Geographic is teaming up with director James Cameron for a one-hour special that will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the "Titanic" film, the network announced. "Titanic: 20th Anniversary" is set to air in Dec. 2017 on National Geographic and will feature Cameron and a team of experts looking back at 20 years of new discoveries and revelations that have surfaced since the film came out in 1997. "Titanic" went on to win 11 Oscars, gross over one billion dollars worldwide and turn Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into A-list stars still relevant today. In the special, Cameron (also a National Geographic explorer-in-residence) will bring together a team of the world's leading experts to look at the evolution of knowledge since he made the film two decades ago. The team will explore the accuracy of some of the movie's most memorable scenes and give viewers an updated interpretation of what really caused the ship to sink in 1912.
